Rotary folding and delivery mechanism.



'No. 729,591, g N N PAIENTBD JUNE 2,- 1903..

y B. T. JOHNSTON. ROTARY FOLDING AND DELIVERY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1898- RENBWED 0017.7 1902.

K0 MODEL. 3 SHEBTS- BET 1.

l i 1 x Inventor.

Witnesses.

Attorh ya PATENTED JUNE 2, l903.

R. T. JOHNSTON. ROTARY FOLDING AND DELIVERY MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 18.98. RENEWED OUT. 7. 19 02.

- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

' Inventor.

Witnesses.

y Attorneys PATENTEDJUNE 2, 1903. R. T. JOHNSTON.

ROTARY FOLDING AND DELIVERYMEGHANISM.

uruommu FILED MAE. 4,1898. RENEWED 0017. 1902.

110 MODEL. 3 sun's-sum a.

1?. T Joiujq's 20;;

1 Attorneys.

Wag/3M PatentedJ'une 2, 1903'.

I llNITED STATE-S PATENT "OFFICE.

, ROBERT T. JOHNSTON, or PLAINFIELLD, NnwJEnsEY, ASSIGNOH TO CAMP- BELLPRINTING ranss a MANUEACTURLNG COMPANY, OF NEW YORK,- N. Y., A ooRPoRAIoN,onnnwgvosn.

" ROTARY-FOLDING ANDDELI'VERY MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 729,597, dated June 2,1903. Application file d March 4,1898. Renewed October 7,1902. SerialNo. 126,370. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern; I

Be it known that 1, ROBERT T. JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Plainfield, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented'a new and useful Rotary Folding and Delivery Mechanism, ofwhich the following is aspecification.

The aim of this .invention is to provide a rotary folding mechanismwhich will be very simple and of few parts, accurate in oper ation, andentirely rotary in action, dis pensing preferablywith'all cams, cranks,disc. I may also use this folding mechanism as a delivering mechanism oras one of a series of folding devices in a folding-machine.

To this end my invention consists of a rotating drum, a pair offolding-rollers, and gearing for rotating the folding-rollers around therotating drum in opposition t ripheral movement thereof.

Preferably extending from one of the folding-rollers is a set of tapeswhich bears on the rotating drum.

Ooacting with the folding-rollers is a folding-blade, which in thepreferred form of my construction is mounted rigidly on a shaft and isadapted to tuck the sheet into the bite of the folding-rollers simplybyits rotation. 3o I preferably use a plurality of sets offolding-rollers and: tapes in combination with one rotating drum, and I-further preferably. use a plurality of folding-blades mounted on asingle shaft. Also turning with the folding blade or blades is a part Icall a controlling-blade.

I preferably use as many controlling-blades as there are folding-blades.

The function of the controlling-blade is to 4o-contr0l the free end ofthesheet while the same is passing into position to be doubled into thebite of the folding-rollers. This rotating controlling-blade may be usedin connection with nearlyany rotary folding device. My invention furtherconsists of certain arrangements and combinations, which are describedin this specification and pointed out in the claims annexed hereto.

I have shown in the accompanying drawo the pe any desired location.

ings my rotary folding mechanism used also so V as a deliveringmechanism and arranged in ling-blade that I may use, and Figs. 5 to 8, 6

inclusive, are sectional diagrams illustrating the action of the rotaryfolding mechanism.

Referring to the drawings and in detail,

A A represent the side frames in which the various parts may bejournaled or mounted.

F represents a former over which a web or associated webs may be led andfolded. The web or \vebsis or are drawn over the former by means of thefolding-rollers 10 and 11 and the drawing-rollers 12 and 13. From thedrawing-rollers the folded web or webs is or are directed by a guide 14into the bite of cutting-cylinders 15 and 16, where the web or webs isor are cut into sheets. From the cutting-cylinders the sheets thusformed pass onto tapes 17 and are directed by the same and by guides 18to a rotary collecting-cylinder 19. Running around thecollecting-cylinder 19 is a set of tapes 20, which also pass around thetape-pulleys 21, 22, and 23, as shown. i

I preferably use in connection with the collecting-cylinder a rotaryswitch of substantially the construction described and claimed in myapplication for patent filed of even on date herewith, Serial No.672,494. This switch is mounted on a shaft which is rotated, as'bygearing hereinafter described. The switch consists of a number of arms24, each of which has a finger 25, which fingers intermesh with 5 thetapes 17. The fingers 25 are arranged on a shaft 26, carried by the arms24. Also arranged on this shaft is a lever 260, and a bolt out betweenthe rollers 31 and 27 is passedtherethrough and tapped into one ofthe'arms 24. By turning the lever 260 one hundred and eighty degrees andsecuring the same in this position the fingers may be turned into aninoperative position, so that the sheets passing from thecutting-cylinders may be collected or not, as desired. In the particularconstruction shown the rotary switch is geared to make one turn forevery two turns of the collecting-cylinder, so that two of the productspassing from the cutting-cylinders may be collected, if so desired. Fromthe collecting-cylinder the product thus formed passes upon the tapes 17and is guided bysuitable guides 28 onto the roller 29. The prod uct'thenpasses up around the roll 29 and between the same and a roll 30, thenaround a roller 31, and is carried down between the roller 31 and aroller 33. Aset of tapes is arranged to run around the rollers 29 31 33and a set oftightener-pulleys 34, as shown, so that the product will benicely carried in this pathway and carried down and The tapes 17 arecarried back around the'roller and then around rollers 35 and 36 to thecuttingcylinder 15. Suitable guide-fingers, as 37 and 38, are arrangedbetween the rollers and 31, so that the product issuing from betweenthese rollers will be nicely guided down to my rotary folding'device.

4U designates a shaft which is journaled in the side frames. Arranged onthis shaft are arms 41 41, which carry controlling-blades 42 42. Alsosecured to these arms are tuckerblades 43 43.

44' designates a shaft, which is journaled in bearings on the sideframes, which shaft carries my rotary folding mechanism. A drum 45 iskeyed to this shaft 44. Loosely journaled on the shaft 44 on the insideof the framings are plates 46 46, which have gears 47 47, secured to orformed therewith. Also formed or secured to one end of the drum 45 isagear 48. One or more sets of foldingrollers 49 50 are journaled in theplates 46 46. In the particular examples shown three sets of suchfolding-rollers are used. Running around the rollers 50 are sets oftapes 54, which bear on the rotating drum 45 and which are passed aroundtape-rollers 53, secured on arms 52, which arms are adjustably mountedby means of the usual setscrews tapped in the hubs thereof to engagecarrying-shafts secured between the plates 46 46. Each roller 50 has apinion 51 secured to one end thereof, which pinion meshes with the gear48, secured on the drum 45.

55 designates a set of delivery-tapes, which are arranged under therotary folding device, and which tapes are led around tape-pulleys 56,57, and 58, as shown.

59 designates a stop, which is arranged between the frames A A, so thatthe sheets de; livered from the rotary folding mechanism will strike thesame.

Suitable gearingis arranged, as hereinafter described, so that the setsof folding-rollers will turn about the rotating drum in opposition tothe peripheral movement thereof. One way I may arrange the gearing foroperating the various parts of the mechanism described is as follows:560 designates a pinion, which is driven from any suitable part of themachine. This pinion meshes with an intermediate 570, which in turnmeshes with a gear 580, mounted on the shaft of the rotary switch. Agear 590 is mounted on the end of the collecting-cylinder l9 and mesheswith the gear 580, so that two products may be collected on thecollecting-cylinder, if desired. A suitable intermediate 60 meshes withthe gear 590 and with agear 61, secured to thedrawing-roller 12, whichgear 61 meshes withagear 62, secured on the other drawingroller 13. Agear 63 is secured to the cutting-cylinder 15 and meshes with theintermediate 60 and also with a gear 64, secured to the cutting-cylinder16. A gear 65 is secured on the end of the cylinder 29 and meshes withthe gear 580 of the rotary switch. From this gear 65 the various rollsabove the same may be driven by suitable gearing not necessary here todescribe. A gear 66 is secured upon the shaft 40, which carries therotary tucking and controlling blades, which gear 66 meshes with thegear 65. This shaft 40 also carries gears 68 68, which mesh with thegears 47 47, which turn the plates 46 46. Secured on one end of shaft 40is a gear 69 of the same size as the gears 68. This gear 69 meshes witha suitable intermediate 70, mounted on a suitable stud or shaftjournaled in the main frames, and this intermediate 7O meshes with agear 71, secured ,on one end of the shaft 44, as shown in Fig. 3. Theratio between the gears 68 and 47 is two a to three, so that for everyhalf-revolution of the shaft 40 the plates 46 46 will make onethird of arevolution, and as there are two tucking-blades secured to the shaft 40and three sets of folding-rollers arranged in the plates 46 46 thisgearing will cause a foldingblade to mesh into each set offolding-rollers as the various parts are rotated. The gears 69 and 71are made the same size.

The folding-rollers 50 carry at their rear ends pinions 510, which clearthe drum 45,

the drum 45 being recessed, asat 480, for this purpose. These pinions510 mesh with pinions 520, secured on the rollers 49. The rollers 49 areset so as to just clear the drum 45. As the sets of folding-rollers arerevolved around the rotating drum 45 the rollers will be driven by thismechanism at a comparatively higher rate of speed than that at which therollers are rotated around the drum, and by this means a sheet tuckedinto the bite of one set of folding-rollers will be carried by therotating drum 45 and the tapes 54, so as to be delivered; but as thisrun of the folded sheet takes place the set of folding-rollers will bemoved forward, so that the point of delivery of the sheet will be alsocarried for- IZC - considering both the folding-rollers and drum asturning about the shaft 4st as a commonaxis, for every three revolutionsof the driving-shaft 40 the folding-rollers will turn twice about theshaft 44 and the drum 45 with the shaft 414: will turn three times, or,in other Words. the necessary way to operate these parts is to give anindependent motion of rotation to the rotating drum.

So far as the broad scope of my invention is concerned it is not limitedto turning the folding-rollers about the shaft 44 in opposition to thedrum 45, for the same result can.

be obtained by imparting an independent motion of rotation to thefolding-rollers which is different from that of the drum, so that therewill be a movement of the folding-rollers and tapes relatively to thesurface of the drum.

Suitable guides 500 are arranged between the plates 46 46. These guidesmay be made of the shape shown in-Fig. 2. The same will project up between each folding-roller 4:9and tape-roller 53, so that the folded sheetissuing from the folding device will not contact with the folding-roller4:9 as the same passes out against the stop '59, and these guides 500bearing tightly on the drum 4.5 will direct the folded product off ofthe same. The guides 500 are only shown in Fig. 2 and not in thediagrams for the sake of clearness.

The operation of my improved device may be followed by referring to thesectional dia grams. (Shown in Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive.) In Fig. 5 thesheet or product is shown as pass-: ing down from between the rollers 31and 33,.

the end as being taken by one controlling-1 arm 42 (which may be cutaway, as shown at 420, to clear the tapes 54) and the end of the, sheetas being carried by said controllingarm 42 to the right. Thecontrolling-arms 42 are connected to the shaft 40 by means of suitablearms or hubs, as shown, so that a;

space is left between each of said arms and the shaft 40. As the sheetsshoot down from between the rollers-31 and 33'the leading end of thesame will pass into the space between a controlling-blade and the shaft40. The controlling-blade will then swing the leading end of the sheetto the right, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. It will be seen that thecontrolling-blades 42 are rigidly or immovably connected to their axleor shaft 40 and that a simple mechanism is thus provided for the purposeof controlling the leading end of the sheet, which does not have to beindependently actuated outside of its rotation. This action will preventthe end of the sheet from getting stuck or interfering with any of theother parts, a very important point. In Fig. 6 the sheet or product isshown as being tucked by one of the tucking-blades 43 into the bite ofthe folding-rollers 49 and 50. The sheet will then start up between thebite of the drum 45 and the tapes 54:. In Fig. 7 the sheet is shown asrunning up between the tapes 54 and the drum 45. In Fig. 8 the foldedsheet is shown as almost entirely within the bite of thetapes and therotating drum, and in Figs. 5, 6, and 7 a sheet is shown as beingdelivered. This delivery will take place at a comparatively slow speed,as the rollers are moving in opposition to the move-' ment by which thefolded sheet passes onto the tapes 55. Thus the folding and deliverin gof the sheets will take place very rapidly.

Of course I may use any number of sets of folding devices rotating aboutthe rotating drum, three being a convenient number to keep the partsproperly in continuous operation. This folding device may be used in anydesired location, even if the same does not impart the last folds to theproduct, and the various parts and combinations hereinafter claimed maybe used in any location or with any other form of mechanism withoutdeparting from the scope of my claims.

Having thus fully descrihedmyinvention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is r 1. In a rotary folding mechanism, thecombination of a rotating drum, a pair of foldingrollers, gearing forrotating the folding-rollers around the drum in opposition to theperipheral movement thereof, and means for tucking sheets into the biteof the foldingrollcrs. t

2. In a rotary folding mechanism, the combination of a rotating drum, apair of rollers, tapes passing around one of said rollers and bearing onthe drum, gearing for rotating the folding-rollers and tapes around thedrum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, and means fortucking sheets into the bite of the folding-rollers.

3. In a rotary folding mechanism, the combination of a rotating drum,plates journaled concentrically therewith, a pair of foldingrollersjournaled in said plates, gearing for rotating the plates oppositely tothe drum, and means for tucking sheets into the bite of thefolding-rollers.

4. In a rotary folding mechanism, the combination of a rotating drum,plates journaled concentrically to said drum, a pair of foldingrollersjournaled in said plates, tapes passing around one of said rollers andbearing on the drum, gearing for rotating the plates in opposition tosaid drum, and meansfor tucking sheets into the bite of the foldingrollers.

5. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drum, aplurality of sets of folding-rollers, gearing for rotating the 1folding-rollers around the drum in opposition to the peripheral movementthereof, and means for tucking sheets into the bite of thefolding-rollers.

6. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of rotating drums,plates journaled concentrically with said drum, a plurality of sets offolding-rollers journaled in mechanism of a rotating drum, a pair offolding-rollers, gearing for rotating the foldingrollers around the drumin opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, and a rotatingtucker-blade'coacting with said foldingrollers.

9. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism, of folding-rollers, atucker-blade arranged to tuck a sheet into the bite of thefolding-rollers, a rotating shaft, and a controlling-blade secured tosaid shaft, said controlling-blade being arranged to control andmanipulate the leading end of the sheet until the same is drawn into thefolding-rollers.

10. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism, of a pair offolding-rollers, a rotating shaft carrying a tucker coacting with thefolding-rollers, arms mounted on said rotating shaft, and acontrolling-blade secured to said arms so as to leave a space betweensaid blade and said shaft, whereby said blade is arranged to control thefree end of the sheet or product to be folded.

11. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drum,three sets of folding-rollers, gearing for rotating the folding-rollersaround the drum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, and acontrolling-shaft carrying two tucker-blades.

12. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a plurality of setsof foldingrollers, a rotating shaft carrying a pluralityoftucker-blades, a plurality of arms, and a plurality ofcontrolling-blades for controlling the free end of the sheet or productto be folded.

13. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drumcarryinga gear, a set of folding-rollers, one of which carries a pinionmeshing with said gear, gearing for rotating the folding-rollers aroundthe drum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, and means fortucking a sheet into the bite of the folding-rollers.

14. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drum, apair of folding-rollers gearing for rotating the foldingrollers aroundthe drum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, thefoldingrollers making a less number of turns than the rotating drum, andmeans for tucking a sheet into the bite of the folding-rollers.

15. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drum,three sets of folding-rollers, gearing for rotating the folding-rollersaround the drum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof, arotating shaft carrying two tucker-blades coacting with saidfolding-rollers, and two controllingblades for controlling the free endof the sheet or product to be folded.

16. The combination in a rotary folding mechanism of a rotating drum, aset of folding-rollers, gearing for rotating the foldingrollers aroundthe rotating drum in opposition to the peripheral movement thereof,delivering devices as a set of tapes for receiving the product from therotating folding device and delivering the same, and means for tucking asheet into the bite of the foldingrollers.

17. In a rotary folding-machine, the combination of a drum,folding-rollers, and means for imparting an independent motion ofrotation about a common axis to the foldingrollers and to the drum, andmeans for tucking a sheet into the bite of the folding-rollers.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ROBERT T. JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

OHAs. W. ,SPRAGUE, W. J. KITCHEN.

